Sausages with Beer Cheese Sauce

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May 25, 2016

Article and Photography Lia Picard

Summer is in full swing. Bring on the longer days, cookouts and baseball! These hot days call for simplicity in the kitchen, making these sausages with beer cheese sauce is the ideal summer dish. The sausages cook up quickly in one pan, get slit down the middle and seasoned with spices. Searing them takes them to the next level by adding a thin crispy layer packed with flavor. The beer cheese sauce cooks up in one pot in a matter of minutes. Don’t forget the toppings. Try crumbled bacon or jalapeno slices!. Best of all, these sausages don’t even need to be served on dishes. Just grab and go!

Spicy beef sausages from Kirkwood’s Spotted Trotter (thespottedtrotter.com) are used for this recipe. The boutique charcuterie shop, owned by husband and wife team Kevin and Megan Ouzts, specializes in locally sourced, organic cured meats. The spicy beef sausages pack a nice heat and don’t have the over-processed taste larger brand sausages can have. Spotted Trotter can be found at retailers and farmers markets around town.

These sausages are best enjoyed with friends, preferably on a patio with frosty drinks to wash them down. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 sausages

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

3 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup ale

1 tsp. ground mustard

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Hot sauce, to taste

12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Toppings (bacon, jalapenos, relish, etc.)

Directions

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat and cook the sausages until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Remove from skillet and slice down the middle of the sausages and season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Return to skillet and cook until cooked through, about 5 more minutes.

In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour cooking for about 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and beer, whisking until smooth. Increase the heat to medium high and simmer. Add the ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce, constantly stirring as the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cheddar cheese, making sure it completely melts. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Place each sausage on a bun and spoon a decent amount of cheese on top. Top with toppings of choice – and enjoy!